Web handling mechanism



Jan. 6, 1953 E. G. RICE 2,624,573

WEB HANDLING MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed June 29. 1949 WMHHDM Jan.6, 1953 E. G. RICE 2,624,573

WEB HANDLING MECHANISM Filed June 29. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PatentedJan. 6, 11953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEB `HANDLING MECHNISM ErnestGranville Rice, Chicago, Ill.

Application June`29, 1949,'Seria`lNo. 102,095

4 Claims.

This invention relates to web handling mechanism of a type adapted tosupport a great 'length of web moving at high speed in connection with aprinting press or the like, and it has for its object the provision of anew and improved arrangement by which a web may be led lthrough acircuitous path of very great length Within la housing through whichheated air is 'forced so as to permit a plastic coating or the like/todry on one face of the web While running at high speed through thehousing, Vwith the device 4asa whole arranged compactly so as to take"up a minimum of room, and with the web supported at substantially allpoints by means engaging only one face of the web, whereby the web isputinto condition to be printed without danger of any smudging effect.

For accomplishing lthis purpose, I have provided a novel constructioncomprising a great number of rollers positioned for supporting anendless belt in helical form `comprising two or more helical portionsarranged so that when a web of paper is attached to the face of the beltat any point therealong such 'web is carried through a long circuitouspath within'the'housing corresponding to the pattern Vof .the helicalform of the belt. vIn my improved arrangement, the shafts for therollers supporting one helical belt portion are prolonged so as tosupport also a second set of rollers adapted to receive a second helicalbelt portion, angle-bars being provided for transferring the belt fromone set of rollers to the other set so that `a single endless belt iseffective for carrying a web a plurality of times about the helicalpattern.

It is one of the objects of my invention to `improve devices of thistype in sundrydetails hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means byWhich I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in thedrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side face view of my improvedconstruction and arrangement, with the face of the housing removed forclearness of illustration.

Fig, 2 is a horizontal sectional View through 'the arrangement of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a view'of the device as seen `from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the angle-bar means at-about the middle of thedevice as 'seen from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vdetail view showing lthe arrangement of the meansfor driving the belt supporting rollers of the device.

Fig. 6 is another view showing the'arrangement of the ydriving means;'and Fig. 7' is a plan view showing diagrammatically the arrangement oftheangle barsat the middle portion of the device.

Referring to the several figureslof the .drawings,in which correspondingpartsare indicated by the same referencecharacters, 2U, 2l, .22 fand 23indicate-'spaced sidewalls of the `housings or chamber-s 24 vand 25,within which an endless belt 26 is mounted so as to carry a web ofv.paper or the like through -a circuitous path of great length forenabling the web to be subjected vto adrying operation while `moving athigh'speed through v'the housing. I have provided .my improvedarrangementparticularly for drying a plastic coatingfapplie'd to onevface of a web, but the arrangement may of course beused Afor anypurpose `for which it vis adapted. For drying purposes, I prefer toemploy heat so as to have a maximum drying effect and thus cut .down.the length ofthe path through which vthe Webmust be carried `for a`predetermined drying eiiect. For some ltypes of plastic coating, Iprefer :to apply a temperature of about 250 degrees F. for ab'out40seconds, followed by the application of altemperatureof about.350degrees F.1for .about 2'() seconds, as.nearly .as these conditions `can.be .effected readily without ltoo 'much trouble and expense,-theprecise'timing .being vin at least some cases non-critical.

In mypreferred device, I employ a greatinum ber of rollers forsupporting and driving thebelt which is arranged in two for moreportions, with each portion in the form of a helix, and with .theseveral helical portions connected in series with each other `byportions of the belt led transversely about angle-bars. In vthearrangement I employ, the -supporting rollers for the several helicalportions ofthe endless belt are mounted on the same supporting shaftsand are alldriven in the same direction, this being vpossible by reason`of the fact that vone helical portion of the belt is arranged withsuccessive loops of Vdecreased size inwardly, while the helical portionof vvthe belt -connected directly therewith is arranged with successiveloops of ,increased size inwardly.

In the arrangement shown, I have provided sixteen rollers -2'l rotatablymounted in position in the housing 25 by means of shafts 28 and arrangedfor 4supporting the outside loop of the endless belt 26, such sixteenrollers being connected for lrotation in'unison with each other by meansof an endless chain 29 operating on sprocket 'gears 30 carried by saidshafts 28. Other vrollers. 3l also rotatably mounted in position bymeans of said shafts 28 are arranged for supporting the belt 26 insuccessively smaller loops, with the rollers of successive loopsconnected by means of endless chains 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 operating onsprocket gears 31 carried by said shafts 28. The several loops of theendless belt as just described are connected for rotation in unison witheach other by means of endless sprocket chains 38 (see Fig. 6) operatingwith suitable sprocket gears carried by certain of the shafts 28. In thearrangement shown, several sets of the sprocket chains 38 are providedat circumferentially spaced points about the housings, four sets of suchsprocket chains being ernployed with the chains arranged in radialposition. By the use of this arrangement, comprising six chains in theform of loops and four sets of radially positioned connecting chains,the great number of supporting shafts for the belt are driven all in thesame direction and all completely in unison with each other.

Power is applied to the system of chains and rollers by means of endlesschains 39 and 40 driven by co-operating electric motors 4| and 42,through intermediate endless chains 43 and 44, said motors 4| and 42being adapted to run in synchronism with each other so as to apply thepower evenly and smoothly at a plurality of points.

Within the chamber or housing 25, the endless belt 26 is driven inclockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1, with each succeeding loop of thebelt of decreased size as compared with the loop ahead of it. Within thehousing 24, the belt is arranged in reverse order, being driven inclock-wise direction, with each succeeding loop of the belt of increasedsize, supported by rollers 45 carried and driven by the shafts 28. As isbest shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the connection between the inner end of theportion of the belt positioned in chamber or housing 25 and the innerend of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber 24 is effected bythe use of angle bars 46 and 41 and a roller 48. The connection betweenthe outer end of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber 25 andthe outer end of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber 24 iseffected in turn by the use of angle-bars 48 and 50 and a roller 5| (seeFig. 3).

In tracing the course of the belt 26 through its two circuitous pathsthrough the chamber or housing 24 and the chamber or housing 25, it willbe noted that the belt moves upwardly from a loosely mounted roller 52(see Fig. 1) to a driven roller 53, whence it moves toward the right inFig. 1 through a plurality of loops supported by rollers 21 and 3| tothe innermost one of the rollers 3| at 3|a. The belt passes inwardlyfrom said roller 3| over and sidewise about the anglebar 46, upwardlyand sidewise in the opposite direction about the roller 48, then overand toward the left in Fig. 4 about the `angle-bar 41, from which itmoves upwardly in an oblique direction over the adjacent roller 3| at 3Ib. From this roller 3| the belt moves through a plurality of loopssupported by the rollers 3| and 21 to a roller 54 loosely supported byone of the shafts 28 (at the left in Fig. 2), whence the belt movestoward the left in Fig. '3 over and sidewise about the angle-bar 58,thence downwardly about the roller and sidewise in the oppositedirection from said roller 5|, and then under and about the angle-bar49, from which it moves again to the roller 52.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a web 55 of paper passing over a loosely mountedroller 56 and thence downwardly and toward the right into effectiveengagement with the belt 2S so as to be carried about the completecircuitous path of said belt 26. When the web has been carried about theentire length of the belt for a preparatory threading operation, itsleading end is detached from the belt and carried from the housing 24over a roller 51, after which it may be Wound into a roll or otherwiseused as may be desired. After the web has been threaded through its pathand disconnected from the belt at the leading end of the web, the webcontinues to move forwardly with the belt by its frictional engagementwith the belt, as will be readily understood.

In my preferred arrangement as shown, I have provided a plurality ofducts 58 for introducing heated air into the chambers or housings 24 and25 at their lowermost portions, and have provided ducts 59 forwithdrawing the air from the housings. The air thus introduced into thehousings is to be heated to the desired temperature, and is to be forcedinto and through the chambers at the desired pressure for bringing aboutthe desired drying effect.

While I prefer to employ the form and arrangement of parts as shown bythe drawings and as above described, the invention is not to be limitedto such form and arrangement except as the same may be specificallyclaimed, it being understood that changes might well be made withoutdeparting from the invention.

I claim:

l. In a device of the type described, the combination of a framework, aplurality of shafts rotatably mounted in transverse position on saidframework, an endless belt, a plurality of rollers xedly mounted on saidshafts with the shafts and rollers so positioned as to support a portionof the belt in helical form comprising a. series of loops, a pluralityof other rollers xedly mounted on said shafts in spaced relationship tosaid first-named rollers for supporting another portion of said belt inhelical form comprising a second series of loops alongside of saidfirstnamed portion, means including angle-bars for leading the beltsidewise from one of said sets of rollers to the other set, meansincluding anglebars for leading the belt sidewise from said other set ofrollers to said one set, and means for driving all of said shafts at thesame surface speed of rotation.

2. A device of the type described as specied in claim 1, in which themeans for leading the belt sidewise comprises one set of such meansconnecting together the outer loops of the two helical portions andanother set of such means connecting together the inner loops of saidtwo helical portions of the belt.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination of two housings inspaced relationship alongside of each other, a plurality of shaftsrotatably mounted in transverse position in said housings, an endlessbelt, a plurality of rollers xedly mounted on said shafts in one of saidhousings with the shafts and rollers so positioned as to support aportion of said endless belt in helical form, a plurality of otherrollers fixedly mounted on said shafts in the other of said housings forsupporting another portion of said end less belt in helical formalongside of said firstnamed portion, means including angle-bars forleading the belt sidewise from each of said sets of rollers to the otherset so as to provide portions of the belt in both of said housings, andmeans engaging said shafts at points between said housings for drivingall of said shafts at the same surface speed.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a framework, aplurality of shafts rotatably mounted in transverse position on saidframework, an endless belt, a plurality of rollers fixedly mounted onsaid shafts with the shafts and rollers so positioned as to support aportion of the belt in helical form comprising a series of loops, aplurality of other rollers fixedly mounted on said shafts in spacedrelationship to said first-named rollers for supporting another portionof said belt in helical form comprising a second series of loopsalongside of said firstnamed portion, means including angle-bars forleading the belt sidewise from each of said sets of rollers to the otherset, means for driving the shafts of each of said different loops at thesame surface speed, and means for driving the shafts of the diierentloops of the belt at the same surface speed.

ERNEST GRANVILLE RICE'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

